U.S. patent application number 10/006323 was filed with the patent office on 2003-06-05 for system and method for health monitoring of aquatic species.
Invention is credited to Brielmeier, Markus, Knapik, Elzbieta, Schmidt, Jorg.
Application Number | 20030104353 10/006323 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 21720328 |
Filed Date | 2003-06-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030104353 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brielmeier, Markus ; et
al. |
June 5, 2003 |
System and method for health monitoring of aquatic species
Abstract
The present invention provides a system and a method for health
monitoring of aquatic species in aquacultures comprising a
plurality of containments (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f) for aquatic
species, wherein a sample of used water from at least one
containment is supplied from at least one sample point (A, B, C, .
. . , N) to at least one sentinel containment housing sentinel
aquatic species as bio-indicators for the detection of infectious
particles and/or chemical factors and/or physical factors in said
supplied water sample.
Inventors: |
Brielmeier, Markus;
(Garching, DE) ; Knapik, Elzbieta; (Munchen,
DE) ; Schmidt, Jorg; (Munchen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JENKINS & WILSON, PA
3100 TOWER BLVD
SUITE 1400
DURHAM
NC
27707
US
|
Family ID: |
21720328 |
Appl. No.: |
10/006323 |
Filed: |
December 4, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
435/5 ; 119/226;
435/7.32 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01K 61/00 20130101;
Y02A 40/81 20180101; A01K 63/04 20130101; A01K 61/13 20170101; A01K
63/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
435/5 ; 435/7.32;
119/226 |
International
Class: |
C12Q 001/70; G01N
033/554; G01N 033/569; A01K 063/04 |
Claims
1. System for health monitoring of aquatic species in aquacultures
comprising a plurality of containments for aquatic species, wherein
a sample of used water from at least one containment is supplied
from at least one sample point to at least one sentinel containment
housing sentinel aquatic species at bio-indicators for the
detection of infectious particles and/or chemical factors and/or
physical factors in said supplied water sample.
2. System according to claim 1, characterized by at least one
quality monitoring device for an additionally examination of the
used water supplied from the at least one sample point.
3. System according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said containments are
aquaria, tanks, basins, pools, partitions of creeks, rivers or
lakes and such like.
4. System according to at least one of the preceding claims,
wherein the system is a re-circulating system.
5. System according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized by at least one fresh water reservoir for supplying
fresh water via water supply pipes to said containments.
6. System according to at least one of the preceding claims,
characterized by water pumps providing a constant pressure in the
system and water renewal in said containments.
7. System according to at least one of the claim 4 to 6,
characterized by a filtration system.
8. System according to claim 7, wherein said filtration system
comprises at least a large pore-filter unit, a particulate-filter
unit, a fine-filter unit, a bio-filter unit, an activated
carbon-filter unit and/or an UV-sterilization unit.
9. System according to at least one the claims 4 to 8,
characterized by collecting pipes for collecting and supplying the
used water to said particulate-filter unit, said bio-filter unit
and said activated carbon-filter unit, being placed behind each
other in downstream direction.
10. System according to at least one of the claims 4 to 9,
characterized by a pump reservoir to which the used water is
supplied via said particulate-filter unit, said bio-filter unit and
said activated carbon-filter unit and to which rap water is
supplied via a reverse osmosis unit.
11. System according to at least one of the claims 4 to 10, wherein
said UV-sterilization unit is placed between said pump reservoir
and said fresh water reservoir.
12. System according to at least one of the claims 4 to 11, wherein
said fine filter unit is placed between said UV-sterilization unit
and said fresh water reservoir.
13. System according to al least one of the claims 4 to 12, wherein
sample points are placed for fresh water sampling, water reservoir
sampling, sentinel containment sampling, exit water sampling, pipe
sampling, filter sampling, fresh tap water sampling, reverse
osmosis unit sampling, pump reservoir sampling, pump sampling,
UV-sterilization unit sampling and/or fine filter unit
sampling.
14. System according to at least one of the preceding claims,
wherein the aquatic species are fish and wherein the sentinel
aquatic species are fish, which are highly susceptible for fish
pathogens.
15. Method for health monitoring of aquatic species in aquacultures
of a system comprising a plurality of containments for aquatic
species, wherein a sample of used water from at least one
containment is supplied from at least one sample point to at least
one sentinel containment housing sentinel aquatic species as
bio-indicators for the detection of infectious particles in said
supplied water sample.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention refers to a system and a method for
health monitoring of aquatic species in aquacultures for detecting
detrimental factors, e.g. infectious particles, within a certain
containment. The present invention relates generally to all aquatic
organisms, including Rana and Xenopus species. Hereinafter they are
all referred to by the term "fish".
[0002] In the field of laboratory animal science, pet fish and
seafood production, aquaculture systems are used to breed and
maintain aquatic species. Aquaculture systems according to the
state of the art consist of a set of aquaria, a life support system
and a water source.
[0003] Bulk holding of conventionally kept as well as of a
specific-pathogen-free (SPF) laboratory fish gains rapidly
increasing importance in basic and applied biomedical research.
Breeding and housing of fish requires a defined environment and
climate. Also, pathogenic micro-organisms, such as viruses,
bacteria and parasites as well as chemicals and physical factors
may dramatically affect fish health in colonies of any size and
habitat and exert deleterious effects. Hygienic standards for fish
containments have tot yet been established. Health monitoring
implies regular analysis of the water and its effects on fish
health as it relates to infections with viruses, bacteria and
parasites. Health monitoring also implies regular analysis of the
water and its effects on fish health as it relates to chemicals or
to physical factors. In particular, chemical monitoring implies
regular analysis of the chemical contents, in particular chemicals
and/or heavy metals and/or radioactive substances, and physical
monitoring implies regular analysis of the radioactivity of the
water and of the fish.
[0004] Currently, there is no standard established to test or
monitor potential contamination with heavy metals or organic
compounds. In many scientific or commercial fish facilities, random
sampling for potential biological contamination is difficult to
conduct due to the large number of tanks in the total volume of
water. Therefore, most aquacultures are not monitored at all. But
there is a high danger and a lot of sources for potential
contamination. The aquaculture system is supplied with sterile
water, salts and fish food. All fish inhabiting the system are
either born within the system or imported as sterilized embryos
before hatching, however, in live embryos, the efficacy of
sterilization is difficult to assess.
[0005] Also contact of scientists and fish caretakers with wild
fish or per fish represents constant hazard of infections,
[0006] Further due to optimal living conditions, aquacultures are
highly attractive to insects for deposition of eggs and subsequent
development of larvae.
[0007] Furthermore, there is a high risk of infection of fish with
bacteria and viruses from the environment. In cases of infection,
the re-circulating system, for example, greatly facilitates the
transmission of pathogens and spreading of diseases from single
aquaria to the entire system.
[0008] Similar hazards result from chemicals and physical
contamination through external system supplies, tubing and
electromechanical parts. Especially the flow-through systems are
not free of risk of contamination or infection. This is mainly due
to common working space, handling and poor sterilization
practices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a system and a method for detecting infectious particles in
the waver upstream certain containments.
[0010] This object is achieved with a system having the features of
claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 15.
[0011] The invention provides a system for health monitoring of
aquatic species in aquacultures comprising a plurality of
containments for aquatic species, wherein a sample of used water
from at least one containment is supplied from at least one sample
point to at least one sentinel containment housing sentinel aquatic
species as bio-indicators for the detection of infectious particles
in said supplied water sample.
[0012] The system of the present invention provides a system for
the detection of microbial infections and pathogens, for chemicals
and for physical, e.g. radiological, factors in the aquatic
environment of fish, which are kept in open and confined freshwater
and marine containments as well as in the open sea, to improve
health monitoring of fish. Therefore, water taken from a given
aquatic area or containment is examined by the monitoring system
using sentinel aquatic species as bio-indicator.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises at least one
quality monitoring device for an additional examination of the used
water supplied from the at least one sample point.
[0014] The containments are preferably aquaria, ranks, basins,
pools, partitions of creeks, rivers or lakes and such like.
[0015] The system is in a preferred embodiment a re-circulating
system.
[0016] In a further preferred embodiment, the system comprises at
least one fresh water reservoir for supplying fresh water via water
supply pipes to the containments.
[0017] Preferably, the system comprises water pumps providing a
constant pressure in the system and water renewal in said
containments.
[0018] The system preferably comprises a filtration system.
[0019] In a preferred embodiment, said filtration system comprises
at least a large pore-filter unit, a particulate-filter unit, a
fine-filter unit, a bio-filter unit, an activated carbon-filter
unit and/or a UV-sterilization unit.
[0020] In a further preferred embodiment, the system comprises
collecting pipes for collecting and supplying the used water to
said particulate-filter unit, said bio-filter unit and said
activated carbon-filter unit, being placed behind each other in
downstream direction.
[0021] The system preferably comprises a pump reservoir to which
the used water is supplied via said particulate-filter unit, said
bio-filter unit and said activated carbon-filter unit and to which
tap water is supplied via a reverse osmosis unit.
[0022] In another preferred embodiment, the UV-sterilization unit
is placed between the pump reservoir and the fresh water
reservoir.
[0023] Preferably, the fine-filter unit is placed between the
UV-sterilization unit and the fresh water reservoir.
[0024] In a preferred embodiment, sample points are placed for
fresh water sampling, reservoir water sampling, sentinel
containment sampling, exit water sampling, pipe sampling, filler
sampling, fresh tap water sampling, reverse osmosis unit sampling,
pump reservoir sampling, pump sampling, UV-sterilization unit
sampling and/or tine-filter unit sampling.
[0025] In an alternative preferred embodiment, the aquatic species
are fish and the sentinel aquatic species awe fish, which are
highly susceptible for fish pathogens.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0026] The FIGURE shows a preferred embodiment of the system for
health monitoring of aquatic species in aquacultures to explain
essential features of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0027] Aquaculture systems are used, as mentioned above, to breed
and maintain fish, Rana and Xenopus species, for example in
research laboratories, in which, for example, zebrafish (danio
rerio) is mainly used. Typically, three types of husbandry systems
are used in these research laboratories.
[0028] In a static system, the water is neither flowing nor
filtered. This system is mainly used for short periods of time for
acute toxicity tests or other short experiments, and fish are not
usually maintained for more than one week.
[0029] In the flow-through system, water enters the aquaculture
system from a source, flows through the aquaria one time and exits
as spillage. Variations of the flow-through system includes
constant flow-through, timed flow-through, reservoir-timed
flow-through and balanced water delivery systems.
[0030] More commonly used are the re-circulating systems, of which
a preferred embodiment is shown in the FIGURE. Water enters the
aquacultural system from a source and circulates through aquaria as
a closed system. In this type of aquaculture, a small percentage of
water is spilled and the same percentage is renewed. Spilled water
contains preferentially the suspensions and sediments of the
excretions of the fish.
[0031] Water is of far greater importance to fish as an
environmental medium than air is to terrestrial animals. Therefore,
the water quality is the primary requirement for a healthy system.
The best results are obtained when reverse osmosis water from a
reverse osmosis unit 13 supplied with tap water is used and
subsequently adjusted for hardness and salinity to assure
osmo-regulation. This method assures a biologically clean water
without microbiological contamination and no chemical contamination
coming from daily fluctuation of city/or source water. Furthermore,
this method assures reproducibly consistent water quality.
According to the present embodiment in the FIGURE, tap water from a
tap water unit 12 is supplied to the reverse osmosis unit 13, for
example via pipes.
[0032] A life support system supports regulated water flow through
aquaria and maintains the system water quality. According to the
described preferred embodiment, the life support system comprises
water pumps 16, responsible for constant pressure in the system and
water renewal in the tanks, a UV-sterilization unit 17 against
viral or bacterial contamination, a fine-filter unit 18 to further
purify the water and a filtration system 8 comprising a
particulate-filter unit or large-pore filter unit 9 for a
filtration of lagers debris and fish waste, a bio-filter unit 10
populated by defined ammonium- and nitrite-processing bacteria and
an activated carbon-filter unit 11 to reduce organic compound
contamination.
[0033] Typical systems contain four types of aquaria. Small
containments with reduced water flow for rearing baby fish, large
aquaria for rising families, small aquaria with normal water flow
for keeping small families and specially identified fish, and
single-fish containments for the long-term keeping of a single
fish. Normally all aquaria are connected by a system of pipes
allowing water entry to the aquarium from the clean water reservoir
2 and water exit towards the life support system.
[0034] Starting from the clean water reservoir 2, clean water is
flowing by forces of gravity or by pumps through a system of water
supply pipes 3 to a whole aquaculture system. As shown in the
FIGURE, the aquaculture system of the preferred embodiment
comprises a plurality of fish tanks 4a, 4b, 4c, . . . 4f. It is
clear to a person skilled in the art that different kinds of
assemblies of single containments to a whole aquaculture system are
possible. The water supply pipes 3 are distributing water such that
the clean system water is flowing only once through a single
aquarium, and preferably 5-10% of the system water is drained by
overflow to the waste by a waste water unit 14. This flow is
regulated by the thickness of the pipes and by a system of valves.
The used system water exits the aquarium by overflow. The used
water is collected by exit water tanks 6a, 6b, 6c and supplied to
the filtration system 8 via water collecting pipes 7.
[0035] The set of main collecting pipes 7 delivers the used water
to preferably large debris filter mats 9, bio-filter mats 10
harboring ammonium-processing bacteria and to a carbon-filter unit
11. The processed system water is collected into a pump reservoir
15.
[0036] At this point, new reverse osmosis water is added in a
volume preferably 5-10% to the 95-90% of the total system water per
day.
[0037] Pumps 16 are pumping renewed system water through the
UV-sterilization unit 17 and subsequently through the fine-filter
unit 18 towards the clean system water reservoir 2.
[0038] The quality of the water and effectiveness of the filtration
system 8, 17, 18 are of greatest importance. A daily measurement of
water salinity, pH-rate, temperature, air temperature and humidity
should be performed daily. On a weekly basis, the level of
ammonium, nitrite and nitrate should be measured. In well
oxygenated systems, the level of oxygen and carbon dioxide should
be measured periodically.
[0039] According to the embodiment of the present invention, water
examination for health monitoring of fish can be executed by
installation of a sampling device at every point of interest, for
example A, B, C, . . . N in a given aquaculture system. Depending
on the arrangement of the aquaria and the system, the used water of
the system 1 can be examined by single tank sampling B, row
sampling 3, partition sampling C, rack sampling, system sampling or
such like to obtain information about the excretion of the fish
into the water.
[0040] Depending on the arrangement of the life support system and
the water flow in the system 1, the water supporting the
aquaculture system can be sampled or examined by particulate-filter
sampling E, bio-filter sampling F, carbon-filter sampling G, used
water reservoir sampling X, pump sampling L, UV-sterilization
sampling M and/or fine-filter sampling N to obtain information
about the quality of the life support system.
[0041] Depending on the water flow, the aquaculture system 1 can be
sampled or examined by fresh water sampling or water reservoir
sampling A, main pipe sampling, UV sterilization unit sampling M
and fine-filter sampling N to obtain information about the
biological, chemical and physical quality of the water.
[0042] In the re-circulating system 1, as shown in the FIGURE, or
in a flow-through system, preferably sentinel fish are used for
microbiological, chemical and physical monitoring of the system 1
and of fish health. Different kinds of fish with highest
susceptibility to biological, chemical or physical agents can be
used to optimize the hazard/susceptibility ratio at an optimal
rate. The sentinel containment housing sentinel fish as
bio-indicators for the detection of infectious particles in said
containment is called a Device for Improved Health Monitoring
(DIHM). This device facilitates the monitoring of water quality and
the monitoring of fish health. The DIHMs are installed at all
points of interest in the system 1. Depending on the arrangement of
the aquaria in the system, the DIHMs can be installed for tank
monitoring B, row monitoring D, partition monitoring C, system
monitoring to obtain information about the biological status of the
system 1 upstream of the sampling point A, B, C, . . . N.
[0043] Analogous to the aforementioned, DIHMs can be installed
depending on the arrangement of the life support system for water
pumps monitoring L, large pore-filter monitoring E, bio-filter
monitoring F, carbon-filter monitoring G, UV-sterilization unit
monitoring M, fine-filler monitoring N or such like to obtain
information about the quality of the life support system.
[0044] Also analogous to the aforementioned, the DIHMs can be
installed depending on the water flow in the system for fresh water
reservoir monitoring A, used water reservoir monitoring K, main
pipes monitoring, UV-sterilization unit monitoring M, fine-filter
monitoring N, reverse osmosis unit monitoring I, rap water
monitoring H to obtain information about the chemical and physical
quality of the water.
[0045] Preferably, sentinel fish are constantly kept in DIHMs for a
period of three months or less in the water examined in the
different sampling points, A, B, C, . . . N. Thereafter, the
sentinel fish are taken and investigated as representatives of the
fish kept upstream of the sampling point, respectively, for viral,
bacterial and parasitical infections, for chemicals and physical
agents and for contamination with radioactive nucleotides. Sentinel
fish can also be subjected to regularly repeated pathological
dissections to detect morphological alterations or signs of
diseases, e.g. inflammations, necrosis, tumours, etc. Sentinel fish
can also be used for immunological analyses for infections with
microbial agents.
[0046] The data obtained from the sentinel fish indicate the health
status of all fish located upstream, whose water was monitored by
the sentinel fish. The number of sentinel fish used in a particular
aquaculture should be large enough to be statistically
representative for the number of fish kept or monitored upstream of
the sample point.
[0047] Aquaculture water can be tested at any interesting sampling
point A, B, C, . . . N for biological, chemical or physical
constituents, which represent important factors for the quality of
the water in the unit and for the functional status of each
constituent of the life support system in experimental set-ups for
marine containments as well as in the open sea.
[0048] The DIHM is designed to capture clean water or water with
left-over food or fish excrements from different points of the
aquaculture system, thereby examining aliquots of water from
upstream compartments. The sampled or examined water is directed
and delivered continuously or in intervals or fractions to an
individual DIHM-tank, which houses sensitive and susceptible
sentinel fish. These sentinel fish are continuously observed and
investigated in regular intervals for the development of latent or
overt signs of impaired health. By continuous use of DIHMs,
sentinel fish are exclusively exposed to water from upstream
compartments. An unaffected or impaired health status of sentinel
fish indicates the absence or presence of pathogenic factors or
organisms upstream of the sampling point.
[0049] Hence, this method represents online biological, chemical
and physical monitoring of all fish housed in an aquaculture system
and greatly increases the frequency of detection of pathogens,
which are transported via the water to the sentinel fish.
[0050] A DIHM comprises at least a sampling tube introduced into
either tanks or water compartments which carry a part or the total
amount of water coming from all or selected fish housed upstream of
the DIHM. Further, the DIHM comprises a sentinel tank housing
sentinel fish which are preferably highly susceptible for fish
pathogens. The sampled water containing potential pathogens from
upstream fish is flowing into this individual tank by forces of
gravity or by pressure produced by a pump. Sentinel fish in the
DIHM are exposed to the total examined water and serve as
bio-indicators for infectious pathogens which are excreted by
experimental fish located upstream of the sentinel fish as well as
for chemical or physical factors affecting fish health, as
described above.
[0051] The DIHM further comprises a waste water tube from the
sentinel containment which transports the water from the sentinel
tank to the system waste water exit 14.
[0052] To monitor individually defined sets of fish harbouring
compartments in aquaculture systems, the water from the
compartments can be examined by system sampling, partition
sampling, rank sampling and/or life support system sampling.
[0053] System sampling is executed at any defined point within the
aquaculture system. Sampling water from the system monitors water
from all fish contained in the system. Sampling water from the
system requires a number of DIHMs equal to the number of desired
defined sampling points.
[0054] Partition sampling is executed at any point within a defined
partition of the aquaculture system. Sampling water from a
partition of the system monitors water from all fish contained in
the partition. Sampling water from partitions of the system
requires a number of DIHMs equal to the number of desired
partitions.
[0055] Tank sampling is executed at the level of a single rank.
Sampling water from a tank monitors water from all fish contained
in the tank. Sampling water from tanks requires a number of DIHMs
equal to the number of tanks to be monitored.
[0056] Life support system sampling is executed au any defined
point of the life support system. Sampling water from a defined
point of the life support system monitors parts of the life support
system. Sampling water from a defined point of the life support
system requires a number of DIHMs equal to the number of defined
sampling points.
[0057] Hence, the present invention provides a system and a method
for health monitoring of aquatic species in aquacultures to detect
infectious particles in certain containments. Thus, a fast reaction
is possible to eliminate the source of the infectious
particles.
[0058] DIHMs can be built into pre-existing aquaculture systems or
stand-alone systems by fitting the appropriate sampling points to
the system and monitor the aquaculture system on a system level,
rack-level, partition level, tank level, life support system level
or any other level according to the user's decision.
[0059] Furthermore, DIHMs can be built into stand-alone aquatic
housing systems by the manufacturer to monitor fish health on a
rack level, side level, row or partition level or on a single-tank
level. In each case, water reaches the sentinel tank from the
sampling point. The water of the respective upstream compartment is
used as influx into the sentinel tank. The efflux water from the
sentinel tank, which operates on the principle of flow-through
system, is transported to the system waste wiser exit.
[0060] Additional sampling points may be installed at any point
according to the user's request.
[0061] Finally, it should be mentioned that fresh water or marine
systems are used to breed, maintain and produce ornamental pet fish
and commercial fish for human consumption. Typically, two types of
environments are used.
[0062] Sweetwater fish are kept in containments, e.g. aquaria, fish
tanks, basins, pools, in partitions of creeks or rivers or in
lakes. Aquaria, fish tanks, basins and pools are generally
re-circulating systems into which water enters from a source and
circulates as a closed system. A small percentage of water is
spilled and the same percentage is renewed.
[0063] Partitions of creeks, rivers or lakes are flow-through
systems. In the flow-through system, water enters the system from a
source, flows through the system one time and exits as waste water
or spillage. Marine systems are used to breed, keep and produce
commercial fish in large quantities, whereby trout and Atlantic
salmon (salmo salar) is used for the most part. The open sea
environment is generally a fjord-like geographical situation with a
connection to the open sea. In this system, the water is renewed by
tidal convections and the water quality increases in a sea-bound
gradient.
[0064] In the drawing and the specification, there has been set
forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although
specific terms are employed, the terms are used in a generic and
descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the
scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
[0065] 1 system
[0066] 2 clean water reservoir
[0067] 3 water supply pipes
[0068] 4a, 4b, 4c, 4f fish tank
[0069] 6a, 6b, 6c exit water tank
[0070] 7 water collecting pipes
[0071] 8 filtration system
[0072] 9 particulate-filter unit
[0073] 10 bio-filter unit
[0074] 11 carbon-filter unit
[0075] 12 tap water unit
[0076] 13 reverse osmosis unit
[0077] 14 waste water unit
[0078] 15 pump reservoir
[0079] 16 pump
[0080] 17 UV-sterilization unit
[0081] 18 fine-filter unit
[0082] A, B, C, . . . N sampling or monitoring point
* * * * *